Chapter 1180: Prosperity of the Prince (Combined)

"The Marquis of Baron Xingyi's Treasure Ship of Creation was bestowed personally by the Holy Emperor. It is traveling south under imperial decree, and it is Cangzhou's honor that it passes through our lands. Prefect Deng will also come forward to host a banquet for the Marquis of Baron Xingyi. When that time comes, do not lose face for the people of Cangzhou! Lixuan, why are you dozing off again? Did you not sleep well last night? Everyone, show some spirit! Do not embarrass yourselves!"

"Understood."

"No energy! I can't hear you! I can't hear you at all! With such a weak voice, you want to board the Marquis of Baron Xingyi's ship? Say it again!"

"Understood!"

"Good, that's the spirit!" The clan leader nodded with satisfaction and walked away with his hands behind his back. "The Marquis of Baron Xingyi has been granted thirteen ports, most of which are fishing villages being converted into harbors.

However, do not look down on these fishing villages. The population behind them is not small, and everything is waiting to be rebuilt. This is an opportunity—an opportunity to rise to the heavens in a single step. An official at the Prime Minister's gate is a third-rank official; a disciple under the Heavenly Dragon is a Hunting Tiger master.

The Marquis of Weining of the past, now the Prince of Yue, recruited people all the way from north to south, creating a massive momentum. The Marquis of Baron Xingyi, as his student, is highly likely to follow suit and leave behind a fine legacy. He will test your will and spirit. For these three months, have you all been diligently practicing the scripture-chanting techniques prepared for you?"

"Rest assured, Clan Leader! Our practice is pure and skillful! We are improving day by day!"

"Good!"

Reeds grew thick on both banks, and reed flowers were in full bloom, with white fluff drifting about. Cangzhou was the gateway to the Imperial Capital, and the major families that had taken root here naturally had their own channels of information. They led their clan's outstanding disciples to the docks early to follow the Prefect in welcoming the royal throne.

The relationship between the Marquis of Baron Xingyi and the Prince of Yue was no secret, and his early deeds had been passed down. When he was still in humble circumstances, he produced a Peerless Jade Token. Faced with the Prince's recruitment, the Marquis of Baron Xingyi would neither acknowledge him as a master nor recognize him as kin. Even the Prince of Yue was helpless and could only accept him as a nominal disciple.

Knowing this connection, they naturally had to make good use of it.

Just as before the imperial examinations, candidates would collect "Cheng Mo"—the model essays written by the examiners of the provincial and metropolitan examinations, or the articles of successful candidates—to first fathom the examiners' minds before writing their own essays, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

In the fourth month, the Marquis of Baron Xingyi knocked open the Heavenly Pass, and the "Mountains" all knew of it. The well-informed major clans began preparing as early as the fifth month; the late ones started in the sixth month, almost half a year in advance, specifically to let their clan disciples temper their spirit and will, hoping to shock everyone and surely win a silver or gold medal.

The river wind blew vast and mighty.

It was the ninth month, entering autumn, yet the heat remained unavoidable.

Amidst the bored, sweating wait, the royal banner with the character "Huai" broke through the river mist and arrived in a grand manner.

"It's here!"

Everyone's spirits lifted, and they straightened their backs.

They witnessed the Prefect of Cangzhou board a small boat, sailing toward the treasure ship, calling out for the royal throne to stop and rest.

Necks twisted from right to left.

They then witnessed the royal throne not stopping, passing the Cangzhou port, and continuing south, sailing away grandly.

"Why didn't the treasure ship drop anchor? Why didn't it slow down? Who is the ship captain? How are they sailing?"

"Are they not docking?"

"They left! They really left."

"Left? Who left? Where to?"

"The treasure ship has left! Clan Leader, the Marquis of Baron Xingyi—ah, no, the Prince of Huai has left!"

"Ah?"

Everyone stood stunned in place, realizing that Liang Qu truly had no intention of stopping or docking, and they immediately panicked.

This was not what they had imagined.

What about shocking everyone?

The small boat returned to the shore, and the Prefect of Cangzhou returned in low spirits. "Prefect Deng, what is going on? Why didn't the Prince of Huai stay? Did we in Cangzhou offend the Prince of Huai somewhere? Was the hospitality lacking?"

"That must be it! The Prince of Huai must still be holding a grudge over the Cangzhou assassination case back then! Alas, it is all the Ghost Mother Sect's fault!"

"Do not guess wildly." Prefect Deng Yingshen waved his hand. "The Prince of Huai does not have such a small capacity. The assassination in Cangzhou back then was an accident; how could he blame us? On this trip south, the Prince of Huai does not intend to recruit people. It is not a deliberate targeting of our Cangzhou. I met the Prince of Huai's master, Grandmaster Yang. Master Yang said that if one has the heart, one can go to Jianghuai to seek a future."

"This..."

The clan leaders felt dizzy, the world spinning around them.

Seeking a future on one's own is completely different from being recruited and boarding the ship along the way.

It wasn't just guessing the wrong topic; they hadn't even taken the exam.

"I said it before, the Marquis of Baron Xingyi's master is the head of the Huaiyin Martial Hall, the number one martial hall in the world. Why would he need us?"

"You idiot, hindsight is 20/20."

"You motherf—!"

"Alas, let's sleep."

Before the sky was fully bright, the clan members were deeply disappointed, turned around, and dispersed, going back to catch up on their sleep.

In the reed marshes, a few young people stared intently at the treasure ship until it disappeared from view, a strong sense of unwillingness surging within them. They had already been suppressed within their families; why... "Let's go."

Shoulders slumped, as if their spirit had been drained, just like the reeds that turned white after autumn.

The treasure ship cut through the waves. Yang Dongxiong returned to his room. Xu Zishuai squatted on the railing, blowing wind, brushing his teeth, and watching the fun. He held a water cup, gargled, spat out the tooth powder, and threw on a towel.

"Haha, all that preparation for nothing. Let's eat, let's eat. Ship captain, is there any breakfast?"

The otter twitched its butt, ignored him, and continued to sleep.

"Knock, knock."

"Sister Eying, Elder, are you awake? Do you want to eat breakfast?"

The knocking sound rang out. The blurred vision refocused and cleared. Feeling the sweat and stickiness on her body, Long Eying calmed her breathing, twisted her shoulders twice, leaned against the head of the bed, and called for Long Yao and Long Li to come in. Turning her head, she found Liang Qu missing and held her forehead, remembering only after thinking for a moment that he had hugged her and gone to the practice room.

"Hey~"

Taking off their shoes and stepping onto the fluffy camel-hair blanket, Long Yao and Long Li wrinkled their noses.

The torn dragon silk hung half-off the bed, the box of snow-pig fat on the stool was completely empty, the air was filled with a sweet, cloying scent, and the floor was a mess. They didn't need to look to know that the bedding would need to be washed again.

"What's with the 'yuck'?"

"Just yuck, just yuck!"

"Yuck, bleh."

One opened the window, the other tidied the bed, sticking out their tongues and making faces.

"Asking for a beating."

Long Eying laughed heartily, reached out, pinched Long Yao and Long Li's cheeks, and shook their heads. After being swatted away by the two girls in annoyance, she draped the Dragon Spirit Gauze over herself and walked barefoot to the corner of the bedroom.

Sure enough, he was practicing.

Knowing that he had deliberately left the door ajar so as not to worry her, Long Eying gently pulled the small door shut.

【Refining Refined Ze Ling: Water Ape Great Sage (Orange) (Fusion Degree: 99.5%) ↑】

【Refining Refined Ze Ling: Water Ape Great Sage (Orange) (Fusion Degree: 99.6%) ↑】

"Hoo—"

"Haa—"

Inside the sun-and-moon-radiance practice room, air currents circled.

Liang Qu sat cross-legged, receiving the baptism of radiance. Behind him, a white ape phantom emerged, with golden eyes and snow-white teeth, every strand of hair delicate, vivid, and elegant. After an unknown amount of time, the phantom completely overlapped with him, his whole body glowing brightly, moist and lustrous like jade.

Heat flowed out from his spine, spreading to his whole body.

The Qi Sea within his body surged and expanded.

From Perfected Form to Heavenly Dragon, the Qi Sea no longer had limits, known as the Boundless Sea.

However, before a normal Perfected Form breaks through, practicing to the limit, if one does not break the limit, eating more great elixirs is mostly a waste.

Liang Qu was different.

Refined Ze Ling is an unchanging water level difference. The favor of the River Lord is the channel within the water level difference. Even if the Perfected Form reached the limit of 23,000 and stopped rising, the excess part did not disappear but accompanied the opening of the Heavenly Pass, turning into the Boundless Sea, filling and feeding back continuously! Now, in this last one percent, it all surged out together!

When ascending to Heavenly Dragon, the 23,000 Qi Sea transformed into a root sea of 23,000 that could pry the heavens and earth.

Now 24,000, 25,000, 26,000—it continued to rise rapidly, and the connection with heaven and earth became increasingly tight!

A normal Heavenly Dragon's year of bitter practice is nothing more than the feedback Liang Qu received in a few breaths right now!

Every pore was breathing wantonly, every cell was growing sturdily.

The Boundless Sea fed back to the Dragon Court Xiandao, making the Xiandao stand tall, expanding infinitely, creating a phantom heaven and earth that enveloped the Treasure Ship of Creation!

Thick water vapor rose in the room, dispersing like clouds and mist.

The water waves beneath the Treasure Ship of Creation spread slowly to both sides, without any undulations, as if walking on flat ground.

"Holy crap, what's going on!?"

Xu Zishuai was startled.

He had just come to the kitchen to gnaw on a bun. Why were there clouds and mist all around, and the wooden floorboards turned into white jade bricks? Where had he been brought to? There was also an abundant spiritual energy. Was this still Ashui's ship?

Did someone take him along during their ascension to immortality?

"Wu Sheng phantom!" Su Guishan stepped out of the room, dumbfounded.

"Wu Sheng phantom?" Xu Zishuai followed the sound, sharing his red-oil meat bun. "Old Uncle, care to explain?"

Su Guishan explained: "Normal practice—Galloping Horse nine orifices, Wolf Smoke twenty-eight meridians, Hunting Tiger establishing pavilions—is a gradual practice from point to line to plane. Entering Perfected Form is establishing the Heavenly Palace, a major transformation. Heavenly Dragon is a step further, but it is not just within the body; it extends to the outside!"

"Outside the body?"

"Yes, the so-called knocking on the Heavenly Pass is breaking the internal limit, breaking the circle, and communicating from within the body to heaven and earth. The stronger the Heavenly Dragon, the stronger the influence."

"When reaching a profound realm, one can freely and completely reflect the Heavenly Palace. If the realm is not high, it might also be a certain node, such as condensing a new divine ability, which will then trigger spiritual energy." Su Guishan found it inconceivable.

How long had Liang Qu been promoted? And he condensed a divine ability on the way back?

Xu Zishuai looked at the clouds and mist under his feet, which looked real, but felt nothing when he touched them. He suddenly realized: "So this is the phantom projected by Ashui's internal practice of the Heavenly Palace?"

"Yes! This kind of phantom is actually the same as the Xiandao on the Clouds over the Jianghuai Great Marsh. Both will trigger heaven and earth spiritual energy. Sensitive people can even rub it off to make a 'Form'. Wolf Smoke and Hunting Tiger can also temper True Steel!"

Lu Gang, Hu Qi, Ke Wenbin, and others also arrived here, shocked beyond measure.

From Galloping Horse to Hunting Tiger and Hunting Tiger to Heavenly Dragon, both are two realms apart, but the gap between them is like heaven and earth. The heaven and earth phenomenon that the Three Dharma Departments, River Po Office, Dragon People, and Frog Clan had gone to watch with great joy and fanfare during the Jianghuai tide movement in the past could now be triggered by a Heavenly Dragon's practice.

"Practice, practice!" Xu Zishuai finished the bun in two bites, wiping the grease on his clothes. "Rub a little, rub a little."

The others reacted as well. Except for Yang Dongxiong, Su Guishan, and Long Eying, most of the people on the ship were in the Wolf Smoke or Hunting Tiger realm, just right for tempering True Steel.

A row of cushions appeared on the deck.

"Wait! Is this Ashui's Heavenly Palace? Why does it look so familiar?" Ke Wenbin asked Xiang Fang Su.

Xiang Fang Su hesitated: "It really doesn't look like a Heavenly Palace. It looks a bit like—the Xiandao on the Clouds?"

The phantom reflection was incomplete, only one or two parts, like the feet shyly revealed under a girl's skirt, appearing and disappearing.

The Jinglan Canal was magnificent, the immortal energy ethereal, and the blurred Xiandao appeared and disappeared, accompanying the treasure ship all the way south. Large ships coming and going on the river were all amazed, quickly recognizing the identity of the visitor.

"Heaven and earth phenomenon! A moving heaven and earth phenomenon!"

"The royal banner, it's the Prince of Huai's ship, the Prince of Huai's ship heading south!"

"This is the Prince of Huai?"

"Quick, draw the spiritual energy into your body. This is the Prince of Huai's grace."

The Ze Ding shone brightly.

【Refining Refined Ze Ling: Water Ape Great Sage (Orange) (Fusion Degree: 100%)】

The radiance twisted.

The original orange characters "Water Ape Great Sage" revealed a brilliant touch, turning into a dazzling bright orange.

【Ding Master: Liang Qu】

【Refining Refined Ze Ling: Water Ape Great Sage (Deep Orange)】

【Water Ze Essence: 121】

【Completely fused with Water Ape Great Sage, comprehended innate skill—Prince Prosperity】

【Completely fused with Water Ape Great Sage, comprehended innate skill—Spirit Descent】

【Refined Ze Ling Promotion Conditions: Obtain 60 points of River Governance, 100 points of River Favor, completely fuse with Refined Ze Ling Water Ape Great Sage (Deep Orange).】

【Evaluation: Born divine species, heaven and earth's favorite, dominates a great marsh, calls wind and rain, all who see must bow.】

Consciousness sank.

Liang Qu passed through the ship's cabin, through the keel, and fell into the Da He, spreading continuously, as if merging with the Da He, becoming a drop of water in the river.

【Fourth entry into the Huai River, the people are pious, River Favor degree +1.1002】

【Fifth entry into the Huai River...】

【Sixth entry into the Huai River...】

【Seventh...】

The radiance flickered continuously, as if it had been pent up for a long time, jumping out one after another!

"So much favor?"

The thought flashed and disappeared.

Opened his eyes again.

Outside the window, the tide rose and fell, and specks of light floated on the river surface.

Pushed open the window.

It was night, a dark night. The river wind blowing on his bare upper body felt a bit cold. Practice has no years; he should have skipped a solar term, from early autumn to mid-autumn. He didn't know where the ship had sailed to.

Looked at the other "mountaintops".

After being promoted to Heavenly Dragon, Liang Qu felt this move was very useful. In the past, when going out, he mostly followed the rivers, which seemed easy and convenient, but in reality, without a compass, identifying directions and finding places was still a big problem. He could perceive the "stones in the river", especially individual demon kings and vassal kings who didn't like to move, who were like positioning stakes.

"Hmm?"

"Almost at Jianghuai?"

The distribution of "stones in the river" ahead was very familiar, numerous and even. It was the Jianghuai Great Marsh, and there was one more in the Great Marsh. Looking at the other mountaintops and seeing which place was missing one, Liang Qu immediately knew who had come.

Sea Fangzhu!

The distance was very close, less than a hundred miles. Liang Qu immediately gathered his thoughts and introspected.

Root Sea 35.

Unlike what Su Guishan imagined, he didn't construct a second divine ability for the Heavenly Dragon. Or rather, after the Dragon Tiger Golden Body derived to the stage of turning fingers into steel, the difficulty of the third stage, Sealing Heaven and Locking Earth, increased by several grades. Being able to trigger spiritual energy was entirely the result of the Root Sea's surge.

There was no qualitative difference between fusion degrees of 99 and 100. Instead, the Refined Ze Ling poured back, helping the Root Sea grow, and the strength increase was more of an unexpected joy, but not the main event.

A glimmer of expectation emerged in Liang Qu's heart.

Communicated with the Ze Ding, a bright orange flash.

【Ding Master: Liang Qu】

【Refining Refined Ze Ling: Water Ape Great Sage (Deep Orange)】

【Refined Ze Ling Favor: Martial Dao Tong Shen Sixth Layer; Ying Dragon Pattern: 6 Layers; Tian Wu Yu Pattern: 2 Layers】

【Innate Skills: Water Rhyme, Overturning Jianghe and Seas, Divine Might, Driving Water Disease, Calling Wind and Rain and Summoning Mist, Suppressing Wind and Stopping Rain and Fixing Mist, Driving Jianghe, Stealth,】

【Spirit Transformation, Vortex Blade, Vortex Armor, Turbulence, Blood Rain, Blood River, Dark Tide, Water Dragon Lock, Water Thorn, Prince Prosperity, Spirit Descent】

【Innate Divine Abilities: Water Travel for a Thousand Miles, Nether Sea Prison, Ze Kingdom, Pillar Supporting the Heavens, Water Dragon Piercing Clouds, Vortex Escape Path】

【Water Ze Essence: 121】

【Dragon Species Breath: 2】

【Dew Species: 1】

【Heaven and Earth Long Qi: 1】

【River Governance Degree: 0.6 (Favor Degree: 64.8412)】

The fusion progress disappeared, replaced by the change in Refined Ze Ling color.

Good-looking.

Very good-looking.

Bright orange, looking high-end, atmospheric, noble.

The result of a full 20 million essence.

Every year's mermaid tears, Great Marsh treasure fish, great merit exchange, precious plants and medicines—

White water monkey, cyan Ze, purple water king ape, orange water ape great sage, and then to today's perfection.

A sense of nostalgia surged in Liang Qu's heart.

What's the next step?

【Refined Ze Ling Promotion Conditions: Obtain 60 points of River Governance, 100 points of River Favor, completely fuse with Refined Ze Ling Water Ape Great Sage (Deep Orange).】

As expected, the former water monkey to Ze needed a trace of favor, satisfied in advance. Ze Prison to Water Wang Yuan needed 5 points of favor, running around, participating in many sacrifices. Now Water Ape Great Sage, the demand surged.

"?"

Liang Qu pondered.

This exaggerated configuration looked extraordinary no matter how you looked at it. It was not far from the Huai River position.

100 favor degrees is not difficult.

"Water Wang Yuan is heaven and earth's favorite, fusion degree rose, obtained 50 favor points in total, the rest—"

Counted the radiance, the favor of entering the Huai River had reached the 11th time, increased 8 times.

The first time was when the snake demon was removed in Xiangyi County and he was invited into the Dragon King Temple. The second time was when he was established as a temple after controlling the water in Xige Prefecture. The third time was controlling the water in Pingtan County.

Appearing so many at once, it was highly likely because of the fight with the Jiaolong at the beginning of the year. Eight places invited the white ape into the water god temple, and then it erupted all at once.

He still had 13 ports under his command, and he could honor whoever he wanted.

The key is that the number of 60 points of governance is a bit scary.

Sacrificing once can obtain an equivalent amount of governance favor. 60 governance is equivalent to naturally obtaining 60 favor every year.

"Governance degree rose by 0.1, one point consumed for Ze Kingdom, 0.5 after fighting the Jiaolong, rose by 0.1 when heading south?"

"Dew species can condense another spring and summer one, but there is no 3,000 Water Ze Essence."

"The remaining innate skill—Prince Prosperity."

"Husband?" A soft call from outside the door.

"Who are you? And whose husband are you calling? There is no husband here, only a king who cares about the people under his rule!"

"Great King~"

"Heh!" Liang Qu opened the door, Long Eying, who was holding the folded Dragon Lingxiao, came into view. He smiled and hugged her. "What's wrong, my beloved consort?"

"Seeing the Great King restraining his Qi, you should have achieved success in your practice, so I came to remind you. We have arrived at Jianghuai. Sea Fangzhu is waiting in the distance, bringing a lot of water beasts. There should be an urgent matter. Hurry up and put on your clothes."

Liang Qu also discovered that while he was thinking, Sea Fangzhu was close at hand, and he was still bare-chested. He buried his head and sniffed the Dragon Lingxiao.

"Why is there the beloved consort's body scent on it? Did you steal it again?"

"Shameless, hurry up."

"Heh."

There was no time to experience the brand-new innate skill. Liang Qu grabbed the Dragon Lingxiao, draped it over his body, wove it into clothes, kissed his wife, and stepped out of the window.

Twenty or thirty miles, reached in one step.

Sea Fangzhu floated half on the water surface, talking to Hai Yun. Behind her followed a large group of octopuses, salamanders, water spiders, and even—monkeys?

"Roar roar!"

Liang Qu looked in surprise at the golden-haired monkey king who should have been on Shoushan, jumping up and down, climbing down the azure tentacles, and offering him melons and fruits: "Master Fangzhu, what is this—"

Sea Fangzhu sighed.

"Little Water, Little Monkey and I have nowhere to go—" ===== CHAPTER 1181 =====